Typographical mold



Oct. 7, 1958 M. H. HARTZELL TYPOGRAPHICAL MOLD Filed Nov. 2, 1954 INVENTOR.

MAURICE H HARTZELL United States Patent -O TYPOGRAPHICAL MOLD I Maurice H. Hartzell, Chester, Pa.

Application November 2, 1954, Serial No. 466,370

7 Claims. (Cl. 199-92) This invention relates to molds forcasting individual printers types and is used with usual well known typographic c-asting machines.

This form of mold, as is well known, includes a mold blade and crossblock to provide, with other elements, a type cavity. In prior forms of this mold, the cavity was supplied with molten. metal through a vertical nozzle opening discharging vertically directly through the bottom of the mold cavity, the nozzle passage extending through a flange of the crossblock. In the course of use of such mold wear occurred that permitted burrs to be frequent- 1y formed on the feet of the cast type thereby causing high and low printing. Other difliculties have been not only that the jet opening of such prior molds varied with the thickness of the type body regardless of whether the body had a character or was blank, such as a spacer, but also that air would become trapped in the cast type. While special air vent passages have been suggested, yet these entailed possible operating difficulties.

It is an object of my invention to provide an improved typographic mold which will produce individual type of uniform height throughout extended use of the mold.

Another object is to provide an improved mold which insures a' uniform nozzle opening for all set sizes regardless of the thickness of the type body.

Still, another object is to provide improved means for facilitating the removal of air from the type cavity whereby heavier type may be obtained with consequent minimum possibility of the type being crushed during use.

A further object is to provide an improved mold in which the wear of parts may be effectively. compensated for so that the foregoing as well as other objects of my invention will be maintained at a high state of efficiency.

A still further object of my invention is to provide an improved mold that is relatively simple and economical in construction, operation and maintenance and will not sacrifice in any way the main. advantages of the general type of mold disclosed herein but, at the same time, will permit obtaining the many additional advantages of my objectives.

Other objects and advantages will be more apparent to those skilled in the art from the following description of the accompanying drawings in whichi Fig. 1 is a perspective of a mold embodying my invention;

Fig. 2 is a transverse section taken substantially on a vertical plane indicated byline 2-2 of Fig. 1 and with part of the crossblock broken away to show the relation of my improved jet opening and jet pusher with respect to the type cavity;

:Fig. 3 is a perspective of the crossblock removed from the mold; I 3

Fig. 4 is a perspective of my combined jet forming and jet gate pusher, removed from the crossblock; and

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary perspective showing how my invention can be used for casting cylinder type- The mold hereof is of the type disclosed, merely by way of example, in Patent No. 2,029,529, and is genice erally constructed similar thereto. Therefore, reference should be made thereto, if necessary, for any details of construction not shown or described herein as part of my present invention. A mold of this general type includes a base plate 1, a water base 2 and a front abutment 3 mounted upon the base plate. Type blocks 4 and 5 are supported on the water base 2 and spaced apart to receive a mold blade 6 which when withdrawn, as shown in Fig. 1, forms a type cavity 7. A crossblock generally indicated at 8 is slidably supported on the base plate 1 and between the front abutment 3 and the type blocks 4 and 5. The mold blade 6 and crossblock 8 are reciprocated in timed relation to each other by Well known mechanism which need not be described herein although it should be pointed out that for the position of crossblock 8, as shown in Fig. 1, the mold blade 6 should be flush with the vertical face of the type blocks to indicate that a type body has just been ejected. However, for the sake of illustration, the mold blade 6 is withdrawn to show certain novel characteristics of the type cavity 7. Actually, when the mold blade is in the position shown in Fig. 1 the crossblock is positioned so that its matrix seat 10 is in alignment with the matrix seat portions 11 of the type blocks.

The following is one of the improvements of my present invention. Vertical faces 12 of the type blocks and the face 13 of water base 2 lie in a single or common vertical plane extending entirely down to the right angled top guiding surface 15 of base plate 1. The crossblock also presents a single vertical plane surface 14 which slidably fits against the surfaces 12 and 13 with no lateral offset or flanged portion of any kind between these relatively slidable surfaces. These plane surfaces have the func tional purpose, in combination with a diagonally downward biasing means of eliminating the adverse effects on a nozzle opening 21 of wear between said surfaces as has heretofore been the case with prior flanged crossblocks. The diagonal biasing means includes a usual flange 14, Figs. 2 and 3, on the other side of the crossblock together with a shoe 16 slidably engaging the top of flange 14 and the side face 17 of the crossblock but with the shoe 16 urged diagonally downward toward the surfaces 12 and 13 and 15 by diagonal screws 18 seated against.

munication with the type cavity with the result that the bottom 22 of the cavity is completely solid thereby insuring that there will be no possibility of a burr on the type feet which has heretofore caused the type height made in prior molds to vary with consequent high and low printing.

To direct the molten metal from nozzle opening 21 into the die cavity and to obtain the further advantage of eliminating trapped air therefrom, I provide the crossblock with a combined lateral jet-forming and jet gate pusher means 26 shown in Figs. 2, 3 and 4. The crossblock is provided with a transversely extending inverted V-slot 25 in which the jet pusher is transversely slidably fitted. The cavity end of this jet element has a lateral deflecting portion 27 whose upper corner, as shown in Fig. 2, is positioned above the plane of the bottom 22' of the mold cavity while the lower vertical end 28 of the jet element is spaced away from the vertical wall 13 of the waterbase 2 thereby to form a vertical passage 29 communicating with the nozzle opening 21. The .inverted V-recess thus laterally communicates at its upper.

sweeps out air at the top thereof. The metal isthereby.

initially crowded upwardly against the matrix 38. and rapidly fills the cavity in a downward-directionto press the air downward and laterally out into the passage 29 where it is trapped as part of the, jet gate.

Upon completion of the casting operation the crossblock 8 is moved to the positionshown inFig. 1 thereby causing the gate withinpassag'e 29 to, besheared. by the trailing edge of the V-slot 25. As is customary. with gate pushers, the so-called jet gate pusher 26 is, provided with a recess 33 which receives a longitudinal cam 34 secured to the surface 15- of base plate 1. As the crossblock is moved the cam surface 35 causes jet pusher element 26 to be moved laterally for forcing the sheared gate out of the passage 29 at an appropriate pointso that the gate is removed in a manner well understoodin the art. The cast type is then pushed out of its moldcavity. by inward motion of mold blade 6 into a well known typecarrier (not shown) which delivers the type to the galley whereupon the return movementof the crossblock sweeps the type from the surface 15. The cam 35 restores the jet pusher element 26 to its jet-forming position shown in Fig. 2 to repeat the cycle. The jet element 26 has its outer corner 37.cut out to fit around the shoe 16. The action of shearing the. gate from the lateral face of the type body forms a small roughened area along the shear line. This area is effective in holding or locking the type together when locked up in a press chase. This prevents the type from riding up. Heretofore an interlocking nick or protrusion have been used which in certain circumstances may now be omitted if desired.

While the dimensions. and angles of the jet pusher element may be of any suitable values consistent with the principles of my invention it will be stated, by way of illustration, that in one specific example the angle between the tapered sides of jet element 26 and similarly for the inverted V-slot 25 is approximately 13 degrees and the angle of the lateral deflecting end 27 is substantially 30 degrees with respect to the vertical. The height of the pusher element 26 is substantially /2 inch while the portion of this height alloted to the lateral tip 27 is substantially of an inch compared to the height of the water base 2 of substantially of an inch. The width of the jet passage 29 as seen in Fig. 2 is substantially A; of an inch compared to of an inch for the nozzle opening 21which is preferably on the center line of passage 29. .The invention is, of course, not limited to these particular. values as is evident from the broad principles of operation herein described.

From the foregoing disclosure it is seen that no burrs will be formed on the'feet of the type blocks because with no shearing action at the bottom of the type cavity there can be no wear at this area, thereby insuring uniform height of type at all times. Because the wear between the guiding surfaces 12, 13 and 15 andthe mating surfaces of the crossblock 8 can bereadily adjusted by the diagonal screws 18, it is seen that this mold may have a very extended life of precision casting without in any way allowing the wear to produceundesirable burrs on the type. In fact, because of the extremely large surface areas involved, no appreciable wear will occur anywhere that, can create space between the type blocks 4 and and the crossblock. Thus by my lateral jet injection -I obtain not only the advantage of eliminating burrs on the feet of the type. but also 'of eliminating or minimizing trapped air in the type cavity by virtue ofthe.

molten metal first impinging against one side of the type cavity and then swirling upwardly against the matrix face to push the air in a downward direction.

A further distinctive advantage of my lateral jet mold is that it permits casting so-called cylinder type which has a shallow depth compaied to the usual long type formed in the cavity as shown in Fig. 1. For example, as shown in Fig. 5, the water base 2 will be relatively deep so as to provide a shollow mold cavity 7'. The solid bottom of the mold cavity is provided with a convex cylindrical surface 40- and the bottom of the mold blade will have a mating concave surface 41, the axes of curvature of these surfaces extending in the direction of blade movement. The depth of the mold blade, type blocks, jet gate pusher, and all other elements cooperating therewith, will have their vertical dimensions arranged to conform to the shallow cavity but otherwise all structural and operational features are the same as for the long type.-

lt is also seen that a uniform lateral jet opening as well as a uniform nozzle opening 21 is provided for-all set sizes on both the straightand cylinder types instead of being variable with the thickness oftype body as wasthe case with molds heretofore used. While thesolid bottom of my mold cavity is formed directly on the base 13 yet the term base is used broadly in the claims hereof to mean any structure which forms a solid bottom of the mold cavity.

Furthermore, my invention eliminates having the usual gate block, of the crossblock assembly, extend beneath the type blocks thereby avoiding a further source at which any wearing of the surfaces would produce undesired spaces.

Thus, it is seen that I have provided a highly effective precision mold for casting type that provides economical construction, operation and maintenance compared to prior molds without sacrificing in any way the advantages thereof and at the same time obtaining many new and unique advantages.

It will, of course, be understood that various changes in details of construction and arrangement of parts may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of the invention as set forth in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A typographic mold for producing individual types comprising, in combination, a base plate, type blocks, a movable mold blade and a crossblock, said blocks and blade forming a type cavity with the base plate constituting a completely solid-bottom for the cavity, a vertical nozzle opening extending upwardly through the base plate to one side of the cavity, and means formed in the crossblock having a vertical passage communicating with the nozzle opening and a lateral opening communicating with the cavity through the side thereof above said solid bottom for directing a jet of molten type metal laterally inwardly thereof so that upon movement of the crossblock the gate shearing action occurs on the side of the type. v

2. The combination set forth in claim 1 further characterized in that the jet means has a surface inclined upwardly toward the side of the type cavity so that molten metal is directed against the opposite side of the cavity in an upward. direction.

3. The combination set forth in claim 1 further characterized in that the jet means includes a transverse groove in the lower portion of the crossblock and a jet gate pusher element disposed in said groove, the end of the pusher element adjacent the cavity having said inclined surface for directing the metal into the cavity, and means for moving said pusher element for discharging the jet gate after it is sheared from the'side of the type body.

4. The combination set forth in claim 1 further characterized by the provision of a water base supported upon the base. plate and the type blocks being supported upon the water base, saidtype blocks and water base having vertical surfaces lying in a'single plane which extends from the type blocks down to the base plate, the die cavity extending upwardly from the top of the water base and having its side opposite to the mold blade terminating flush with said single plane, and the crossblock having a single vertical surface in sliding contact with said other single plane surfaces.

5. The combination set forth in claim 1 further characterized by the provision of a water base supported upon the base plate and the type blocks being supported upon the water base, said type blocks and water base having vertical surfaces lying in a single plane which extends from the type blocks down to the base plate, the die cavity extending upwardly from the top of the water base and having its side opposite to the mold blade terminating flush with said single plane, and the crossblock having a single vertical surface in sliding contact with said other single plane surfaces, and means for exerting a diagonally downward and inward force on the crossblock so as to hold the same against said single plane vertical surfaces and against the base plate.

6. The combination set forth in claim 1 further characterized by the provision of a water base supported upon the base plate and the type blocks being supported upon the water base, said type blocks and water base having vertical surfaces lying in a single plane which extends from the type blocks down to the base plate, the die cavity extending upwardly from the top of the water base and having its side opposite to the mold blade terminating flush with said single plane, the crossblock having a single vertical surface in sliding contact with said other single plane surfaces, and the crossbloek having -a longitudinal flange on its side opposite to the type cavity and an adjacent vertical surface above the flange, an abutment secured to the base plate adjacent to said flanged side of the crossblock, a shoe acting down on the top of said flange and against said adjacent vertical surface, and diagonal means adjustably threaded in said abutment for engaging said shoe to bias it in said diagonally downward direction.

7. The combination set forth in claim 1 further characterized in that the bottom of the cavity and of the mold blade have mating curved surfaces whose axes of curvature extend in the direction of movement of the mold blade thereby to form cylinder type.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 326,009 Bass et al. Sept. 8, 1885 450,083 Mitchell et a1. Apr. 7, 1891 461,338 Henkle et a1. Oct. 13, 1891 618,308 Wick Jan. 24, 1899 691,619 Gilbert-Stringer Jan. 21, 1902 748,876 Murray Jan. 5, 1904 980,960 Indahl et a1. Jan. 10, 1911 1,002,959 Bellows Sept. 12, 1911 1,024,512 Knight et a1. Apr. 30, 1912 1,801,075 Emery Apr. 14, 1931 2,029,529 Indahl Feb. 4, 1936 2,152,009 Zauner Mar. 28, 1939 

